NSCC Flagship Competition
 Camp Pendleton

Our fledgling unit, under (past) commanding officer LTJG Tim Behnke, took home 2nd Place in Personnel Inspection at the 2012 Flagship Competition.  Flagship is a weekend-long event where units from throughout Southern California gather to compete at nautical skills mastered throughout the year. Events include knot tying, fire fighting, line heaving,  exhibition and regulation drill, swim and stretcher races. Though it is a fierce competition, it's a time to socialize and have fun too! Cadets spend the weekend bunking in the barracks, eating in chow hall, socializing with other units and enjoying a Saturday night dance with DJ. This event is the hightlight of the year!

San Pasqual Valley Hike
San Pasqual Valley

Both Leaguers and Cadets spent a drill morning hiking in the San Pasqual Valley.  Among the many core values that are taught in the NSCC is that of physical fitness. Cadets are tested twice a year through Physical Readiness Testing (PRT) which gauges where each cadet is in terms of their health and physical fitness. The PRT is similar to the Presidential Fitness Test that many may remember completing in high school.  Only those who can pass the minimum standards can attend summer and winter training evolutions and can rank up. 

NLCC Flagship Competition
Camp Pendleton

NLCC Flagship Competition is similar to NSCC Flagship but is for League Cadets only (ages 10-13).  Rather than a weekend-long event, NLCC Flagship is a one-day event where units from around the region gather to compete in similar events as those that take place in the NSCC event.

NLCC Basic Orientation
Camp Pendleton

New League Cadets spent a rigorous week learning the basics of drill and military discipline, all while making new friends and learning the Navy code of Honor, Courage and Commitment.

Bronze Boot

STEM Sea Perch Training
Coronado NAS

Summer Training featured a STEM course (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING and MATHEMATICS) for League Cadets at Coronado NAS. Each leaguer learned lessons on electronics and robotics, then built their own SeaPerch submersible robot and competed with it in an underwater obstacle course. Competition occurred at the Navy's TRANSDEC Anechoic pool and coincided with the International RoboSub Competition.

Science Achievement Ribbon

Grape Day Parade & Festival
Downtown Escondido

The unit showed off their new uniforms in the first parade of the school year in downtown Escondido. Despite the heat, they looked sharp! The Grape Day Parade was followed by the Grape Day Festival in the local park where the unit had a recruiting table set up and the cadets earned volunteer hours by helping the sponsoring Escondido Historical Society man the Fun Zone Bounce House and carnival games.

Photos courtesy of Robyn Batorick

Navy SEAL Visit
Drill

Drill culminated with a Navy SEAL guest speaker who shared his fascinating experiences in the Special Forces. He spoke of his grueling journey to become a Navy SEAL and what he does as a member of these elite fighters. The unit had lots of questions for him and many tried on some of his special forces gear at the end of the talk. All were honored when he personally handed out awards and applied ribbons at the end of the day.

Photos courtesy of Joanie Mick and Robyn Batorick

CyberPatriot Competition
Ins Vore Home

Team INVICTUS is underway!  Escondido Battalion is competing for the first time in the national cybersecurity competition "CyberPatriot" sponsored by Northrup Grumman and the Air Force Association. With the help of our mentor Ryan Niemes of Illumina, Inc, our team will compete in the Services Division against other JROTC, Civil Air Patrol and Naval Sea Cadet teams nationwide. Finalists win a round-trip ticket to compete in Washington DC in March!  Wish us luck as we embark on round one and two of the competition in November. Hooyah to Team INVICTUS!!

Academic Achievement Ribbon

NSCC 50th Anniversary
USS MIDWAY

“The Naval Sea Cadet Corps was federally incorporated on
September 10, 1962 by Act of Congress under Public Law 87-655 as a non-profit organization with specific objectives and purposes in regard to the training and character development of American youth. In this, the fiftieth year since the NSCC was formally established, we celebrate how the Corps has contributed to thousands of current and former Cadets in the development of strong core values, discipline and teamwork. These attributes have benefitted many former Cadets by enabling their success in all walks of life, be it the military, government or business. Our efforts will assist current and future Cadets in the same ways, and will in turn spark the spirit of achievement that has so often thrust our Cadets into lifetimes of selfless service.”

On Saturday, Nov 6th, Escondido Battalion and Training Ship Kit Carson joined other units from Southwest Region 11 on board the USS Midway Museum to join in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Naval Sea Cadet Corps. The program included keynote address by a Navy flag officer, as well as comments by national officers of the NLUS and NSCC. A brief reception followed the ceremony, and included a ceremonial cake-cutting. 

Photos courtesy of Michelle Golding

50th Anniversary Ribbon

Escondido Police HQ Tour
Escondido Police HQ

Many thanks to Sgt Al Owens, Officer Therese Ruiz,Officer Tom Fidel, Sgt Chris Lick, Police Cadet Hagerthy, Police Cadet Granger and Police canine Rako for an event-filled tour of the Escondido police headquarters.  The day included a taser demonstration, an up-close look at police squad cars, a police canine attack demonstration, a tour of the new facilities, lunch and self-defense lessons.

Tour of Army Navy Academy Carlsbad, CA

The morning began with a ceremonial ground-breaking for a new sports faciliies at the Army Navy Academy in Carlsbad.  After which, the unit was treated to lunch and a tour of the beautiful campus by the sea. 

Photos courtesty of Michelle Golding

62nd Escondido Jaycees Xmas Parade
Downtown Escondido

The 62nd Annual Escondido Jaycees Christmas Parade theme was "A California Christmas" and featured floats, bands, walking groups, and more from the community and beyond. Escondido Battalion and Training Ship Kit Carson walked the route, stopping on command to perform an exhibition drill maneuver: "Raising the Flag - Iwo Jima".  As a reward for our unit's efforts, we took 1st place in the Drill Team - Unarmed category and received a large trophy to place in our future display case!

Photos courtesty of Michelle Golding

Battle of San Pasqual
Re-Enactment
San Pasqal Valley

A visit to a reenactment of a battle that included the namesake of our Training Ship--Kit Carson.

In the San Pasqual Valley southeast of Escondido, in the darkness of early morning on December 6, 1846, the American Army under Stephen Watts Kearny fought
the bloodiest encounter to win California from Mexico. General Kearny and his 120 or so member Army of the West had just arrived from Missouri by way of New Mexico. Dreary, hungry, wet, and cold, they met and were defeated by a smaller force of Californios led by General Andres Pico who were waiting there to stop them from joining other American militants.

Suffering over 35 dead or wounded during the battle and under siege on Mule Hill, only the midnight escape by Kit Carson, Edward Beale, and an unnamed Indian averted their outright slaughter. The combined American force led by Commodore Robert Stockton then went on to win the Battle of San Gabriel on January 8 and January 9, 1847.

Today, a California State Monument commemorates the battlefield, and hundreds of volunteers reenact the event there on the Sunday closest to December 6.

Photos courtesty of Michelle Golding and Jayne Healey